Magnetic Message from Mercury

Published: 5 February 2008(GMT+10)

A NASA spacecraft is again testing a creationist theory about the magnetic fields
of planets. On 14 January 2008, the Messenger spacecraft, made by the Johns Hopkins
University Applied Physics Laboratory for NASA, flew by Mercury, the innermost planet
of the solar system, in the first of several close encounters before it finally
settles into a steady orbit around Mercury in 2011.1 As it passed, its ‘magnetometer’ made
quick measurements of Mercury’s magnetic field and transmitted them successfully
back to Earth. Probably it will take the Messenger team several months to process
the magnetic data accurately.

I’m looking forward to the early results because in 1984 I made creation-based
predictions regarding the magnetic fields of a number of planets, including that
of Mercury.2 Spacecraft
measurements3,4 have validated three of the predictions, highlighted
in red in the
web version of the 1984 article. A fourth prediction, in the conclusion,
is this:

‘Mercury’s decay rate is so rapid that some future probe could detect
it fairly soon. In 1990 the planet’s magnetic moment should be 1.8 percent
smaller than its 1975 value.’

In 1984 I made creation-based predictions regarding the magnetic fields of a number
of planets, including that of Mercury. Spacecraft measurements have validated three
of the predictions [and the prediction about Mercury will soon be tested].

Of course, no spacecraft visited Mercury in 1990. When (I hope) Messenger orbits
Mercury in 2011, 36 years will have elapsed since Mariner 10 measured its magnetic
field in 1975. At the above rate, Mercury’s dipole magnetic moment would be
4.4 percent lower than it was in 1975.

I arrived at the rate by comparing the 1975 value with the created magnetic moment
from my theory, and by using a 6,000 year age for the Solar System. There are two
other factors that could affect the prediction, including possible past reversals
of Mercury’s magnetic field, as happened for the Earth.5 The two factors would change the amount of decrease
slightly. An article6 I
published in 2004 sums up all the effects:

Photo by NASA/APL

Messenger at Mercury

‘The bottom line is that I think the field that Messenger will measure seven
years from now should be between 4 and 6 percent weaker than the field in 1975.
More precisely, in 2011 the dipole magnetic moment of Mercury should be between
4.5 and 4.6 × 1019 joules per tesla (ampere–square meters).’

The value in 1975 was 4.8 (± 0.26) × 1019 ampere–square
meters.7 Depending on the
exact results and accuracy of the 2011 measurements, we may be able to detect my
predicted decrease, though not with statistical certainty because of the error limits
on the 1975 results. The 2008 results, coming only from several brief flybys, probably
won’t be accurate enough to detect a decrease clearly. But they might be encouraging
enough nonetheless to sustain our enthusiasm for this model of the creation of cosmic
magnetic fields.8

Note added January 31, 2008: A news conference by the Messenger team yesterday reported
that ‘ … the mean dipole has the same intensity to within a few percent
and has the same slight tilt …’ This is consistent with my prediction.
The two more flybys, more extensive analysis, and finally the year-long orbit of
Mercury in 2011 may reduce the statistical measurement errors enough to resolve
whether my prediction is correct.

Ness, N.F., The magnetic field of Mercury, Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors, 20:209–217, 1979. Use Ness’s more accurate result in the second-to-last paragraph of the abstract and express his error bars of (± 18) gammas in the form above. 1 A m2 = 1000 gauss cm3. Return to text.

Humphreys, D.R., The creation of cosmic magnetic fields, accepted for publication in the Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Creationism, July/August 2008, San Diego. Return to text.

The great commission tells us to preach the Gospel to every nation. We might not be able to go there in the flesh but this site can penetrate every country on the globe. Help the world find 'creation'. Support this site